Minority Lawyers Group Kicks Off Leadership Diversity Effort

The Law360 article, "Minority Lawyers Group Kicks Off Leadership Diversity Effort," quoted Russell Reynolds Associates Consultant
Cynthia Dow about the Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s launch of the Inclusion Index, that was created in partnership with Microsoft and developed with the firm. The article is excerpted below.

The Minority Corporate Counsel Association has partnered with Microsoft Corp. to launch a new data-driven initiative designed to give law firms and legal departments a road map for how to cultivate a more diverse bench of leaders, the organization said in a statement Thursday.

The Inclusion Index will include an online survey fielding data from general counsel and law firm leaders across the country in an effort to determine what practices lead to the engagement, retention and development of diverse attorneys.

“We want to push leaders to think about what behaviors demonstrate inclusive leadership when they are hiring and considering their succession plan, to create awareness about biases within the workplace to better develop their pipeline and engage professionals in the organization to have a greater impact on workplace culture,” MCCA President and CEO Jean Lee said in a statement.

The survey, which will be open to non-MCCA members, was developed with executive search consultancy firm Russell Reynolds Associates .

“The legal community plays a significant and meaningful role in advancing inclusion in the corporate and professional services communities and we are deeply committed to contributing our expertise to that effort,” Cynthia Dow, a consultant who leads the legal officers practice at Russell Reynolds Associates, said in a statement.